North Little Rock City Council members on Monday established the city’s second entertainment district, allowing patrons of Hog’s Meat Market to store alcoholic beverages purchased at the outdoor restaurant in a designated area around the building at 3901 JFK Blvd. You will be able to bring it in.
The new district, known as the Park Hill Entertainment District, is located on 1.5 acres on the west side of JFK Boulevard, across from Lake Hill Shopping Center. Hogs owner Peggy Hogg told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the process has been three years in the making and she has been in discussions with city officials about future district expansion.
Hog’s Meat Market moved from Camp Robinson Road to a newly constructed building at John F. Kennedy Airport in March 2022. The three-generation Hogg family business originally opened in 1963. Hogg told KARK-TV Channel 4 that the new entertainment district is about more than just drinks. She mentioned live music, baggo and adding pickleball courts.
Dem Gaz newspaper reported that District 1 City Councilor Debi Ross has mentioned the possibility of expanding the area, and that businesses across the boulevard have expressed interest. This makes sense for the large parking lot at Lakehill Shopping Center, which currently includes two restaurants. North Bar โ Still under renovation after a fire in 2023. Peeking out the window today, it looks like Mexican restaurant Mariscos “La Corita” Estilo Nayarit is also almost ready. (Old Mill Pizza, which opened in the shopping center in 2020, closed last month. It’s unclear if it will reopen or if another restaurant will open in its place.)
Other businesses within the shopping center that could benefit from Red Light District foot traffic include 1/2, a name brand clothing store, The Book Store, The Medicine Shop Pharmacy and the new XO Nail Bar.
The heavy traffic on JFK Boulevard, which separates Lake Hill from the new entertainment district, may be the reason why Lake Hill is not included in the ordinance at this time. Other established entertainment districts in central Arkansas are located in more walkable areas. JFK is also a busy four-lane state highway with a speed limit of 60 mph. City officials will likely be looking at ways to keep people safe while expanding the district. The Park Hill Jump Start program aims to address neighborhood walkability by adding crosswalks and wider sidewalks. The program, funded by a federal grant, also calls for building new buildings closer to the street and providing parking in the back.
The red light district is a big step for the historic district. Alcohol sales have been prohibited in Park Hill for nearly 50 years, and many aspiring restaurant owners have looked elsewhere. North Little Rock voters in four districts in the Park Hill area voted to repeal the ban in a 2013 special election.
In 2019, the state Legislature passed a bill allowing cities to create red-light districts where people can purchase alcoholic beverages and walk around with them within defined district boundaries. Another entertainment district in North Little Rock, the Argenta Outdoor Dining District, opened in 2020 and provided a big boost to Main Street businesses during the pandemic. The Argenta Arts District regularly hosts the Argenta Dogtown Throwdown. For this event, the Arts District will close off part of Main Street, set up tents and chairs in the street, and host live music.
For more entertainment developments, follow Hogg’s Meat Market on social media. A map of the district is below.